The Palm of her Hand
by Magical Butts
Summary: She was perfection, and it was hopeless. Written for QLFC.


**Written for QLFC Season 5, Final.**

Team: Wigtown Wanderers

Position: Beater 1

Position Prompt: Write a story set during HP's sixth year

Optional Prompt: 7. (dialogue) "It wasn't me!"/ "I didn't say anything."

Word Count: 900

Betas: RawMateriel

* * *

The bump of a heavy bag against her leg, an apologetic mumble. Long, dark mahogany hair dipping into her peripheral vision. At first she ignored the newcomer and focused on what Slughorn was saying; talking about the general properties of liquid luck — why was she even taking potions again? She glanced at her classmate, Cassandra, who seemed very taken with the subject. Then, she looked at the student who had arrived a half hour late to the class. Dark hair, red lipstick, heavy eyeliner. It was Alicia — a face she knew very well by now. But something was different. Katie couldn't quite put her finger on it. She looked away for a moment, but kept glancing at her, no longer focused on what the teacher was saying now.

Alicia glanced back, Katie froze and said, "You're late."

"Pfft," she scoffed. "A queen is never late. Everybody else is simply early." She flicked a strand of hair behind her shoulder and grinned.

Katie smiled and looked at the desk, feeling way too hot all of a sudden.

* * *

A gentle giggle from behind her as George reached the punchline of his joke. Dark hair, a red dress, and a smokey eye that brought out the cool silver and grey tones in her bright grey eyes. she was too close to her for her not to notice. She smiled, she smiled back, and they chatted about everything, and nothing at all. Except this time, Katie could feel herself sweating with nerves, and making an effort to point out how nice she looked. It was hard to make eye-contact. Words kept falling from her mouth before she could catch them.

* * *

Wrinkles on her forehead and a comical frown on her painted red lips as she tried to figure out the rules of the game. Katie knew her favourite shade of lipstick by name: _Night Crimson._ Of course it was called that. The look suited her — but she imagined it was to mask the fact she was a gentle, harmless, and very vulnerable person. So very kind, perhaps too kind, she thought. Always there for her friends, never expecting much of them but getting it all in return anyway. Grateful, humble and compassionate. Katie had never quite met anyone like her.

Or maybe she was just projecting, sometimes she felt she couldn't see the forest for the trees when it came to Alicia. The way she tugged at her heartstrings, it was too perfect for any one of the notes that rang out to feel truly real. She hoped she was right about Alicia's warm heart, because whether it existed or not, Katie was completely at it's mercy.

"It wasn't me," Alicia said, suddenly looking suspicious.

"I didn't say anything." Katie felt colour rush to her face, _had she?_ She paused, "Wait, what wasn't you?"

"Oh! Would you look at the time!" She jumped up. "Gotta go!"

Katie looked at the chessboard and realised some of the pieces had been moved, "Hey, wait! You cheated!" She called after her, as her friend cackled furiously up the stairs to their dorm.

* * *

The smell of her perfume; floral and light; like the dress she wore, the dress Katie was using to dry her tears as she heaved and sobbed. She still couldn't remember what happened. She'd been cursed, she had almost been killed — and she could have killed Harry too. She kept on saying it over, and over, and apologizing again, and again. Alicia stayed with her. She whispered quietly to her that it was all okay, that it wasn't her fault, that she was safe now, and she wasn't alone. Katie believed her. It was all she could do to put her faith in her, it was like she was born to do it.

In that moment of vulnerability she had never been more glad that it was Alicia who she was exposed to like this. That it was Alicia who she was so compelled to confide in, because even if there were things she could never say to her friend, things she would never want to burden the other girl with, ultimately she was safe with her. She believed that. She believed in Alicia, if were up to her and not the mad beating in her chest, she would've made the choice anyway.

The woman was worth the gamble, and she'd never been more glad of the other woman's facade of fortitude. She needed to steady her, she needed it badly.

* * *

The way she fit so perfectly in her arms as she hugged her for the first time in weeks after Christmas break. She had returned to an entourage of her friends and she had smiled at them — but Alicia spotted Katie and ran to her first, and Katie ran to meet her too. "Welcome home." _Home._ That was the only word she could use to describe how she felt about her friend now. She felt like home. She had been sceptical up until that point, but now she knew it. Though she didn't dare say it out loud. That would make it real, then.

* * *

The crinkling around her eyes as she smiled, her teeth showing as the corners of her mouth lifted. They'd won a Quidditch game, _together_. Ginny gave Katie a knowing look as she left the changing room — did she know?

Katie didn't dwell on it. So what if she knew? She was free to smile at Alicia just as Alicia smiled at her — happily, with nothing but admiration in her deep brown eyes.

"Good flying," Alicia said. She always said that after a game; Katie had told her once, years ago, that she was uncertain of her technique, and Alicia had never forgotten.

"You, too."

Katie hid her growing smile as she turned away. She hadn't been able to stop smiling at Alicia since the end of the game. It was getting ridiculous. She pulled off her Quidditch robe and stuffed it away.

"You ready?"

"Yeah."

* * *

Alicia's arm brushing against her side as they walked together, both the same height; the roughness of Alicia's palm and the dryness of her hand, both from playing Quidditch, yet both so graceful whenever she touched or held anything.

Katie wanted her to touch _her_ hand.

And then, out of nowhere, gut wrenchingly; she did. And the whole world shifted.


End file.
